Thursday, October 23, 2008

Super-Lite loads and Inertia triggers...


Do they get along??

All summer I've been shooting clay targets low gun with the 20 ga. SKB 280, as I annointed it as this season's "go to" birdgun. I've been shooting an 1150 fps load with 3/4 ounce of shot. This is a very light load, and oh so pleasant to shoot, not to mention it's easy on the wallet with lead prices being what they are.
Now the rub... As the temperature has fallen somewhat, I've had failures of the second barrel to set up.. I've been wondering if I've been releasing the trigger completely, but, I've never had the problem before.
This little gun is built with 3 inch chambers, and the Roman Candle 3'' 20 can raise hell in the recoil department, so I'm beginning to wonder if my super-lite reload is on the ragged edge of having the ability to reset the second trigger, particularly when temps are lower and energy is reduced somewhat.
So, I grabbed a box of field reloads today, and lo and behold the second trigger set up just fine. So, maybe that's the answer, but, since I'll never shoot heavy loads in this little gun, I'm wondering if a little inertia block warming over is in my future, or should I say, in the SKB's future... or maybe just drop another half grain of Unique and take the easy way out...

I like the 28 ga. light load in the 20, so maybe I'll look into a little inertia block modification.

Stay tuned!
Pictured is the boiler room of a B.Rizzini Aurum Teutonic, showing the inertia block.. Click to enlarge.

7 comments:

  1. Bill,can you solve the problem by going to a faster powder? I shoot ultra-lite 12ga.loads 99% of the time,I see alot of people have the same problem as you,I've never had a single problem from any of my reloads and alot of the time I leave them in a cold truck.I use Red Dot which is a very fast powder that is also high pressure in the heavier 1 1/8oz.loads,I think they are over 10,000psi at 1225fps.What I shoot are less than 7/8oz.at about 1175fps and generate about 7300psi.I think alot of the loads that generate less than 7000psi have a problem in cold weather.

    Yes,I found Missy in Blu's pedigree,but you knew as a great great grandson of Pretty Belle that she would be there.I FOUND MY PASSWORD!!

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  2. Ted, I also have to think about bulk and volume in the reloads. I don't have the plethora of wads available to 12 ga. reloaders in the 20. I already have to punch spaced to load into the shotcup to take up some space for a good crimp.
    I'll look over the limited data I have for 3/4 ounce loads in the 20 and let you know.
    It's a good thought about a different powder... maybe something in Hodgdon..

    It's good to know that others have similar problems with these very light loads... Misery loves company.

    Thanks again, and I'll let you know what I come up with..

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  3. Ya know Ted, you've got a good point!

    I just checked over the data for Unique in 3/4 ounce reloads, and they all show pressures below 6,000 psi.
    I might try Intl Clays, but I have to see how it looks volumetrically..

    Thanks again!

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  4. Bill,every load that I've seen someone have a problem with has been below 7000psi,that psi range seems to be the key for loads that work well in cold weather.

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  5. Bill: you could just learn to use two triggers... seems like a lot more fun than all this complex alchemy you and Ted are concocting.

    Having said that, having someone check the inertia block wouldn't hurt. I say this because the only time I had problems with the inertia block not tripping on my old SKB 585 12ga o/u was because there was a screw-backing out somewhere in the action. Incidentally, I was shooting Eley Hushpower loads... 7/8oz at 1050fps... that load would pattern like crazy in that gun.

    best
    Andrew

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  6. Far too many synapses that stopped firing to try the double trigger route again, Andrew.

    Besides, a little alchemy is good for the soul... Better living through chemistry...
    Uhhhhh, you might be a little too young to remember that one... lol

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  7. Just teasing you in public, Bill! I will admit in the interests of fair game that on not one, but two, occasions yesterday, I failed to take the safety catch off when I tried to knock down a quail. Still a little paranoid about gun safety -- and hey, the dog got to work the birds all over again.

    Depending on what chemistry you're talking about, I'm surprised you even remember the catchphrase! 8-)

    best
    A+M+M+J

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